Articles

Songs That Made Charlene Cry Bluegrass Hall of Famer Rodney Dillard uses two criteria when choosing what he’ll do next in music—Is it too much hassle, and is it fun? His decision to write and record The Dillards’ latest album, Songs That Made Charlene Cry, fit just right. He had mulled over the idea for…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine July 1980, Volume 15, Number 1 Many years ago, John Duffey attended the annual auction of a post office selling items lost or unclaimed in the mail. Through a low bid, he acquired a large box of broken musical instruments. There among the damaged treasures was Duffey’s first mandolin. In…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine October 1980, Volume 15, Number 4 The Sullivan Family of St. Stephens, Alabama, represent a synthesis of two of the strongest and most vital American musics: gospel and bluegrass. It is a powerful combination, the melding of these two musical styles, and the driving, emotional music of the Sullivan Family…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine October 1982, Volume 17, Number 4 Ten years ago, if a gypsy fortune teller had told Barry Poss that he would someday run a small but successful record company with the unlikely name of “Sugar Hill,” he probably would have laughed and asked for his money back. Ten years and…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine October 2011, Volume 46, Number 4 When rock’s Golden God met the Grammys’ all-time winning woman, he had something on his mind. “My first conversation with Robert (Plant) in person was about Ralph Stanley,” Alison Krauss says, sipping tea in the kitchen of her Nashville home. “I loved that. Robert’s…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine June 1991, Volume 25, Number 12 “If only all those country (or pop or rock) fans who say they don’t like bluegrass would just give it a listen, they’d love it.” “If only the mass media would give bluegrass some positive exposure…” Those of us who care about bluegrass are…